Shang-Chi: Pop Culture Through a Trauma Lens (Guest Blog by Rachel Wethers, LCSW)

Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Marvel, 1975

I feel super honored to be asked to contribute to the fantastic topic of Shang-Chi, as this movie recently left a very immense impression on me. I thought it was by far one of the more beautiful movies that I had seen in a while by Marvel, with great depth to the story, and if you give me a few moments, I’ll tell you more about why. I know that my perspective is limited, both in my White American experience on this topic, as my world has been filled with American entertainment and social media, including Marvel and DC Comics for decades. Which means unfortunately, whether I like it or not, comics have influenced my view of culture, and unfortunately they often don’t get it right. For example, the original Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu, seen here from 1975, full of stereotypes and tropes. 

Marvel has a well-known history of misconstruing ethnic concepts for their own means and gain. At times, many folks have been frustrated by accepting as at a minimum, the blundering stumbles into difficult topics had some sort of well-meaning intention, such as Luke Cage introducing MLK Day, Captain America and WWII and punching Hitler in the face, Iron Fist and, well the story had good intentions, but the White fighter was just SO off the mark. We so often accept problematic storylines when it’s not our culture represented, and remain silent. There have been many similar issues through the years, whether well-meaning and miseducated, or conglomerates just simply not taking the time to understand the community and culture of their consumers. Even more so, by not having creators of content who represented the wide variety within their interested public. And then there are the ongoing tensions between creators and editors on the ground over what would and should be published, which continues to fuel tension at Comicon panels even today. 

Director Destin Daniel Cretton & Lead Actor Simu Liu [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Differing Opinions in Representation, Beauty and Curiosity

Reading and listening to the varying AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community since seeing Shang-Chi, I have seen a wealth of extreme differing opinions. Ranging from positive acceptance exposure to stereotyping concerns. The sharing of important figures and traditions of Asian culture to lack of fleshing out important traditions and honorary figures. Well known choreographer Brad Allen, who previously trained under Bruce Lee creating authentic work, to frustrations that Asian works must always seem to include Kung Fu Fighting anyways. To a strong Asian American cast of both newcomers (Fantastic Simu Liu and Meng’er Zhang) and famous Actors (Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh) with Asian American Directorship (Destin Daniel Cretton) but then concerns regarding the varying ethnicities present and accents not addressed correctly by vocal coaches coming from the deep pockets of Marvel. I learned that the amazing beauty I found in Ta Lo, with amazingly powerful and intriguing creatures, was viewed by many as not enough in the surface layers of displaying what is a very deeply layered and honorable belief system and culture, and that of what they did create, was so minimally used in the climactic battle that could have been, with their presence and grand power. 

Marvel’s Adorable Dijiang, Morris

But, I must say, I spent HOURS as someone unfamiliar, inspired to learn more about these majestic and powerful creatures who had now inspired me to add them as additional protector figures in trauma Sandtrays and EMDR work in therapy. I knew nothing about these beautiful and Majestic Shishi, or Fu Dogs, both powerful and yet loving and tender, roaring alongside their warriors they protected. I wanted to learn more about the sweet little winged, faceless Dijiang, Morris, who had stolen the hearts of America and has already been turned into a lego mini figure and stuffed animal for consumerism before the movie had even opened. The beautiful wings of the Fenghuang… They were right. I hadn’t known how powerful, precious, and honorary these figures were until I went down my own rabbit hole in research… which let’s be real, the average person may not do like I did. But I learned a great deal about them HERE, and you can too if you are interested. I can only hope we learn more about their beautiful place in AAPI culture, history, and religion in future Marvel work with Shang-Chi. Because I have a feeling this won’t be the last we see or hear about him or his powerful sister Xialing. I suspect they are setting up the two of them for future further development in their characters in the MCU. 

Tony Leung & Faia Chen, Marvel Studios

*Spoiler Alert*

This movie was absolutely beautiful and eye-opening for me, but the area in which I am more experienced to explore, is the beautiful story of family and trauma. If you haven’t watched the movie and want to avoid even small spoilers, now is your chance to turn back! Go! Avoid the rest of this now! Save your eyes and knowledge for the Cinema, then come back and finish reading me.

Aaaaanyways… The eye of the beholder is going to see a different focus in the story most likely. Some may focus on the absolutely gorgeous love story that develops between Shang-Chi’s Father Xu Wenwu and his Mother Ying Li. Can we just notice for a minute how beautiful and regal she is, and how amazingly charming and handsome Tony Leung is??? Their story overcoming odds against them, as they were destined to have been star crossed lovers, from different realms, where they shouldn’t have been able to meet, fall in love, and create a family. But they did, and that always connects with watchers. But Wenwu’s character has a dark past. He has the fantastical magical ten rings, which gave him the power he had wielded for many years before he met her. Ying Li convinces him to leave that world behind, as she must leave hers to be with him, and he puts away his powerful rings to love and be loved as a man and a Father. In him we see moments of powerful vulnerability, humanity, longing to be known and cared for, in ways we can relate, despite the great power we sense in his character. They build a home it seems in China, where they find happiness and contentment. They have two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing, but when they are still young, their Mother dies at the hands of her husband’s old enemies. Everything then changed. In desperate grief and seeking righteous vengeance, Wenwu returns to what he knows- the power of the rings. He takes a seemingly early school-aged Shang-Chi with him to kill her murderers. And here is where the trauma begins for these loving and strong children. And trauma, especially childhood trauma, is what I know and would like to speak to here in a moment. 

Tony Leung & Young Jayden Zhang, Marvel Studios

Shang-Chi’s story then shifts us to an all grown up “Shaun,” as he now calls himself. Living in America, and seemingly fulfilling the “never gonna grow up and get responsible” fear of all parents, but especially as discussed in the movie, by AAPI parents. Survival in immigration, pride in family, respect and value for education, and wanting your children to succeed further than you have, all play strong roles in many families but are often contributors of AAPI stereotypes. The movie plays to this, and we meet Shang-Chi’s best friend Katy (played by the complicatedly-popular Awkwafina). The two seem to have struggled to find their stride in life and found a close friendship in that, and Katy’s family tends to remind her of this all too often. Side note, as a therapist I tend to find that young people who haven’t found their focus for adulthood yet are usually just around the corner from what calls them. I was 23 before I started to realize the direction I wanted to go. Sometimes we rush the process too fast and then they miss their calling. This especially seems to happen in superhero movies. So haven’t found your calling yet? Maybe you’re next to wear a cape. I digress…  

Faia Chen & Jayden Zhang, Marvel Studios

Anyways, Shaun is observed to have found a sense of family with his friend (maybe more than friend? One can never tell), as he grabs breakfast with them. But they rush off and find themselves pulled into a bus fight (Check out some behind the scenes of this badass fight HERE). This fantastically choreographed fight by Brad Allen and Andy Cheng, both trained under Jackie Chan among other great athletes, will be one to remember for a long time. I imagine outside of a great deal of later CGI work, this was where a huge portion of the money went into production. This fight leads to Shaun realizing that his Father was coming to find him and his sister. We then begin to flashback and learn more about what happened in the many years after his mother died.

Shang-Chi was young when his mother died, but old enough to remember her loving support, beginning to train him in her special art of the Chi, Chi as Shang-Chi seems to say it, seems to mean a form of air energy. Marvel has been reported to say that “Shang-Chi” means “the rising and advancing of the spirit.” A discussion of this is HERE to learn more. Various martial arts, including Tai Chi, were studied and utilized in the training of the actors.  Before this bus fight, one might think Shaun hasn’t practiced since leaving China. Or so Katy would have thought. Her surprise at his ability to fight and protect them on the bus quickly leads to her saying she was going with him to find his sister, and he didn’t get a choice in the matter. For one with such power, Shaun definitely didn’t seem to know what to do with Katy’s assertiveness. There’s a lot of this interplay that is very metaphoric to their relationship and their own self-concept at this point in their lives. One can tell that Shaun isn’t so sure who he really is quite yet. 

The Ultimate Trauma Storyline

Meng’er Zhang, Marvel Studios

As they quickly head on their way to China, Shang-Chi flashes back and tells Katy his story. We learn that after his mother’s death, and their Father’s return to all that he knew, life changed a great deal for the children. We are given glimpses into their young lives, where their Father struggles to be emotionally available to them in his grief, and where he focuses on raising Shang-Chi to be a fighter and to assassinate necessary enemies- at a very young age. After he and his sister became teens, they ran away, to escape his control. Both children throughout the story explore their trauma origin stories, recognizing the loss of their Mother and the dramatic changes in their Father. We see images of a preteen Shang-Chi being whipped to learn to endure pain. We also see glimpses into the life of his sister, Xialing, who after the death of her mother, seems to lose both parents, as her Father seems dismissive of her strengths and needs, both in flashbacks after the loss of their mother, and upon seeing him again in the movie. We follow her story as well, as she has grown to become a leader in her own martial arts training, and seeks to fight for the empowerment of women, and ultimately of herself. 

In both of these great characters, I see the ultimate trauma storyline, of regaining their voice after understanding their origin stories- the understanding and empowerment of self after all that they had been through. As their Aunt, Ying Nan, tell’s Shang-Chi at a point in the story where he is struggling with his training, afraid he might not be able to save his family-

“You are a product of all who came before you. The legacy of your family. The light and the dark. The good and the bad. It is all a part of who you are. Stop hiding. It will only prolong the pain.”

Learning to integrate our experiences as trauma survivors is the difficult work that we do after survival is no longer enough for us. When thriving becomes the cry of our hearts and we long to live and be who we are meant to be. We find meaning in the shadows of ourselves, and empowerment in our voice and abilities as we create and mold the future. A future which for Shang-Chi, breathes life from the power of the Chi. And we ask ourselves, how can we relate to pieces within the story of Shang-Chi? His heartache and loss, his pain, his journey to finding himself. And for a moment, like every other superhero movie- we find hope. Because maybe our lives can find meaning too. 

Finding Our Voice, Finding Empowerment

So how do we find our voice, find empowerment of ourselves, the way Shang-Chi and Xialing did? Both of these resilient young people took back their power by facing their origin stories. Often times this is initiated by life circumstances, forced even to face ourselves and our past in times when we might not have been ready, like Shang-Chi. Or, facing it in our own timing and learning how to thrive, the way Xialing did. Exploring our origin stories, and being seen, heard and validated by those who matter to us, can help us find our way into our present. We have a tendency to not be able to move forward in life until we face the past. The past doesn’t need us to live there, but there are parts of ourselves that do need to be honored within us and recognized for the role in the development of self. Sometimes there are parts who need reparenting, as they didn’t get what they needed from our caregivers, who were hurting and struggling in their own lives. Each of us do that in so many different ways, some on our own with our current friends and loved ones supporting us, and some of us also within the safety of trauma therapy. In therapy a therapist can support us with tools that can help with the dysregulated physical reactions and memories our bodies have held onto for years, as well as trauma informed therapies that can assist with the processing of our origin stories. Therapy approaches such as Narrative work (think creating comic books, vlogs, scrapbooking, gaming, so many applicable options!), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), IFS or Ego State Parts Work, Brainspotting, Somatic Experiencing- so many trauma informed modalities to explore to find the right one for us. 

Shang-Chi, Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel Studios

After sitting with all that we are, reprocessing and organizing our story within us, finding community, or a place to belong, can then help further our post-traumatic growth.

This is why community spaces are so popular- self-help groups, book clubs, social media groups, fandoms, gaming platforms, and other online communities.

This was why the #metoo movement was so powerful. We find others who resonate with experiences similar to ours, and it reminds us we aren’t alone, it feeds our hope for possibilities. When Shang-Chi and Xialing found Ta Lo, found family, the blossoming that occurred for both was clear to the observer. Even Katy found herself in this space of acceptance, and nurturance, and growth.

Rarely does a being or plant, any living thing really, grow in isolation. Just as trees must cross-pollinate, so must we support one another in the development of self and community as we find our roots. When we feel like we belong, and are given the tools we need to be more of who we are, we have the safety and room to open up to the nourishment of the elements that feed our soul. And when that can happen, ANYTHING feels possible. Maybe even becoming a superhero- realm travel, dragons, powerful rings and all. 

About Rachel Wethers, MSW, LCSW

Rachel Wethers MSW, LCSW is a therapist licensed in the states of Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri. She currently provides virtual therapy to children, teens, and adults who come from neurodivergent and trauma backgrounds, often utilizing a geeky perspective with gaming, superhero therapies, and understanding our own origin stories. She lives with her partner, super step kiddos, and super pets in the country where it is quiet and peaceful and bosses and villains can’t find them as easily. www.thehopechest.co